The Department of the Interior released its final list of Critical Minerals today.

The following is ARPN principal Daniel McGroarty’s statement on the list:

“DOI issued its final list of Critical Minerals, unchanged at 35.  What we see is the degree of US dependency – the US is 100% import-dependent for 14 of the 35 minerals, and more than 50% dependent for another 16.  That’s more than 50% dependent for 30 of the 35 minerals on the List – materials that are critical for the national economy, for high-tech, for alternative energy applications, for national security.

And the risk extends even beyond the DOI’s Critical List.  Take copper, which is not listed.  It is the gateway to 5 “co-product” metals that are listed as critical, but are not mined in their own right.  And the U.S. has a 600,000 MT copper gap each year – the gap between what we consume and what we produce.

The Critical Minerals List is a great starting point.  The question now is how the U.S. Government can match policy to the priority of overcoming our Critical Minerals deficit.”